Broke Cardinal Rule

After my first ride today, I got home and filpped the bike over and without thinking pull the rear brake lever without the rear wheel installed. After installing the rear wheel the brake pads seem to rubbing when I don't pull the rear brake lever. I do I correct this problem? I have hydraulic disc brakes.

That's always a pain.
Um... The generic answer is to remove your wheel, and *GENTLY* try to wiggle something down inbetween the pads to push them apart. A flathead screwdriver is usually the tool of choice, but also by the same people who's most used bike-fixing tool is a hammer... My brakes came with little plastic wedges to use in instances like yours, but I imagine if you're very careful to not damage the pads a screwdriver would work.

If it was a misalignment issue, then yeah. Buuuuut his little cylinder/piston-ey dealios are now too far in because they adjusted to squeeze a rotor that wasn't there... Which means all of the "push them back apart" posts are correct.

After my first ride today, I got home and filpped the bike over and without thinking pull the rear brake lever without the rear wheel installed. After installing the rear wheel the brake pads seem to rubbing when I don't pull the rear brake lever. I do I correct this problem? I have hydraulic disc brakes.

This isn't really a "cardinal rule." In fact, if any readers have never squeezed their brakes with the rotor out, I encourage you to go do it RIGHT NOW. If you can't figure out how to pry apart your pads in the comfort of your own garage, there's no WAY you're going to be able to do it after changing a tire on the trail, in the dark, in the freezing wind. It's not really a big deal at all.

This isn't really a "cardinal rule." In fact, if any readers have never squeezed their brakes with the rotor out, I encourage you to go do it RIGHT NOW. If you can't figure out how to pry apart your pads in the comfort of your own garage, there's no WAY you're going to be able to do it after changing a tire on the trail, in the dark, in the freezing wind. It's not really a big deal at all.